- The “Mays” of Notre-Dame
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Saint Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow
- The Conversion of saint Paul
- The Centurion Cornelius at the Feet of Saint Peter
- The Preaching of Saint Peter in Jerusalem
- The Crucifixion of Saint Peter
- The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew
- The Stoning of Saint Stephen
- The Predictions of the prophet Agabus to Saint Paul
- The Visitation
- Saint Thomas Aquinas, Fountain of Wisdom
Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Born in Italy, Thomas Aquinas joined the Dominican order in 1244. He studied at the University of Paris twice, in 1245 and 1252. It is likely that he visited Notre-Dame, whose first construction phase had just been completed under the reign of Saint Louis. After teaching theology in Rome, he returned to Paris in 1268 during a time of moral disputes within the Church regarding Aristotle’s thoughts. During four years, he wrote most of his work in Paris. His writings question faith and the existence of God through nature and the knowledge of the world, thus combining theology and philosophy. His works cover topics such as the soul, body, passions, freedom, and beatitude.
Considered a spiritual father of the Church, he was buried in Toulouse and canonized in 1323. In 1567, he was awarded the title of Doctor of the Church. His writings were contested by Protestants during the Reformation. By the mid-17th century, Saint Thomas Aquinas’s teachings were widely disseminated by the Catholic Church. His renown increased when Ignatius of Loyola chose him as the spiritual master of the Jesuit order, whose teachings were supported by Louis XIII and Louis XIV.
The Painting
Identifiable by his title of “Doctor Angelicus” inscribed on the pedestal, Saint Thomas Aquinas is depicted seated in the center, wearing the Dominican habit. He holds a crucifix in his right hand and an open book in his left. He also wears a garment adorned with a golden sun on a chain and a starry cope. These adornments appeared in a vision to the Dominican Albert of Brescia in the 13th century. Saint Augustine explained that his teaching enlightened the Church like the sun on his chest. Consequently, the sun and golden chain became the iconographic attributes of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
On either side of the saint, figures reach out with bowls to drink from the flowing fountain. An inscription at the bottom of the canvas reads “Hi puros promunt divino e fontes liquores,” which can be translated as “They draw pure liquors from the divine fountain.” His theology is compared to a spiritual “liquor” that quenches the souls thirsting to know God. The religious figures around Saint Thomas Aquinas belong to various religious orders: Dominican, Carmelite, Franciscan, and Capuchin. Among them is a king (perhaps the young Louis XIV?) adorned with ermine. Two young men in the foreground also access the fountain.
Antoine Nicolas
Antoine Nicolas, originally from Langres, painted this work in 1648 during the Regency. At this time, Louis XIV was a young king but not yet ruling. The origin of this commission is unknown. The community of Dominican Sisters of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés preserved the painting before donating it to the Dominican convent of the Annunciation on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris around 1950. The convent then gifted it to Notre-Dame de Paris on the 700th anniversary of Saint Thomas Aquinas’s death in 1974.
